Love Returned? (Ch 11 Fanfic) & Rival (Ch 12 Fanfic)
by VHsgin
Summary: After Mei's declaration to Matsru, will she be able to communicate her feelings to Yuzu? And more over, after so many previous mishaps, will Yuzu be able to pick up on her subtle changes? A Fan made continuation of Chapter 11 & 12 of Citrus.
1. Love Returned?

Mei walked back, holding onto an expression that was somewhere between anger and determination she had subconsciously reserved for epiphanies of genuine confidence. The moment her vision caught Yuzu sitting on the edge of the bench she grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. "I met her on the way to the bathroom. She was going home, something about boredom? I got the feeling she spent the day out of school and got a call from her parents". From what Mei gathered that was roughly close enough to her personality type to be believable, although regardless of believability Yuzu was flustered by their physical contact either way. "Oh… well, I'll just text her when we get home… but maybe… since we're already here… and not in uniform…" she stammered out. Serving only to consolidate her self-assurance, Yuzu's awkward proposal went seemingly unnoticed as Mei glided her to the exit in a fashion similar to the usual interlocking of high school girls. Mei paused as they exited to the sidewalk, gently turning to face Yuzu only inches away,

"There's something we need to talk to about. Let's just go home, ok? "

"O-Oh… Ok!"

Mei, regaining her composure, promptly slid her arm from Yuzu as they walked down the street. Why did it go that far though? Of course she had wanted to return Yuzu's kindness, she didn't deserve to be the plaything of some middle schooler from her past, but… Was that entirely necessary? Being many things but foolish Mei understood the implications of their last kiss, the growing attraction she had. Sadly, she simultaneously accepted the absence of any practical future together. However, as she fought off cognitive dissonance an interesting question seemed to arise, _if Yuzu happened to find another girl, or even boy, that loved her genuinely… would I give her up? Is there anyone who can take care of her… who can she trust?_

Plagued with similar contemplations Yuzu glanced over to her as they walked on in silence, both of them trying to figure out Mei's feelings and neither coming close. Experience had found Yuzu naturally adept at deciphering Mei's needs, however when she placed herself into the equation it became obvious that her vision was clouded by insecurities about Mei's feelings toward her.

And so they walked on, eventually crossing the threshold of their home. Yuzu always being the first to break the silence,

"So what did you want-"

"Your friend… what was her name?" Mei said softly, placing her handbag on the counter but not turning around.

"Matsru…?"

"I understand that you two were close?"

"Yeah, like I said, we're basically sisters-"

"So you kiss all your sisters?"

Yuzu caught herself falling backward, as if struck.

"That's not… How do you know about that?… and … It's not fair, all of _my_ sisters have kissed _me_" finally finding her ground Yuzu steps up, only to see Mei's expression and fall harder than before.

"… Mei…?"

Discerning the vulnerability on her face Mei quickly fixed Yuzu with a dead stare, softening only a little when the words she meant to say formed in her mouth, "She doesn't love you… She's using you. Matsru's only playing with you Yuzu. And… we both know these games hurt… just as a curtsy for what you've done for me… please don't hurt yourself…"

In this brief display of emotion Yuzu had a moment of clarity, of course Mei was concerned, but her exaggerations… Could she be jealous as well? Possibly, although Yuzu's honest nature prevented her reflexive answer from the slightest manipulation.

However "these games" may be played, Yuzu was simply a pawn.

"I don't think you can understand the way Matsur loves me, or maybe you can, when you think about Himeko? But anyway, it's not... 'romantic'… she just missed me… you might get it better if you knew her, she's always been the mischievous type, and a little possessive. She's just excited, as soon as she sees it's not going anywhere she'll stop. I mean, it's been a few months and she's only just thought of me."

Yuzu moved closer to Mei's back as she softly whispered her reassurances, an outstretched hand hesitated a moment before wrapping around Mei's shoulders. Nuzzling into Mei's neck Yuzu's eyes gently closed as she wore a gentle smile, speaking in a volume one can only hear from millimeters away,

"Thank you…for worrying about me…"

There were no ulterior motives beyond consolation, sensing this however, Mei's flush only deepened. Yuzu did not see the flush on Mei's face as she said "I'm bathing first", nor did she feel the tremble in Mei's finger tips as she undid the clasp Yuzu had formed around her shoulders. And of course, being blind to all this, or rather having it hidden away from her, Yuzu was also unaware of the hesitation in Mei's footsteps as she walked away.

Thinking only of how intimate the whole situation had felt, Yuzu walked into their shared bedroom and changed her clothes. Perhaps for the best, if she had known how close she came to finally reliving that one unforgettable kiss, only to miss it by something as simple as the turn of a head? Well, it seemed their relationship had run a full cycle, back to square one, with the feelings of one going unnoticed by the other.

It was only a matter of time before the fault in their communication become exacerbated, but timing was cruel, as it always was on them and the next morning as Mei walked a few paces ahead of Yuzu (having opted to not wait for her as she closed the door), she stepped onto the sidewalk and saw a blonde flash out of the corner of her eye.

Stunned, Mei stared at Matsur, curled up in the fetal position with her face buried in her knees. Yuzu catched up to her, breathing deeply and placing her hands on her own knees, trying to catch her breath,

"You know-… what's the-… point of walking-…" Yuzu paused her drying throat to swallow, Mei looked at her with a calm mask then looked back, following her gaze Yuzu's eyes landed on Matsru as she finished her sentence, "together if you… don't... wait… up…"

Yuzu knelt down at a speed which mirrored falling, startling Mei, but not Matsru…

"Oh my God! What're you doing here? What's wrong? Do you have any idea what time it is? How early did you leave- Wait, did you even come from your house?!"

Matsru looked up at Yuzu, just enough that she saw her eyes, brimming with tears.

"I can't… I can't talk about it… unless we're alone…" Matsru mumbled out, glancing at Mei for a moment before reburying her face.

Yuzu glanced over at Mei "Can you walk ahead? I'll catch up to you, or maybe I'll just see you after school"

There was no room to object, they barely looked at her, Mei wasn't a part of this, at least not until she left. Unprepared, and uncertain of the realism of the scene, Mei complied with a nod and walked past them.

As the footsteps became fainter Matsru raise her head, wiping her eyes with her forearm. Yuzu leaned forward to sit on the concrete beside her, pulling her in with an arm around the shoulder,

"Ok, we're alone. What's the matter? You're scaring me"

Resting her head on Yuzu's shoulder Matsru stuttered,

"It's your girl-girlfriend Onee-chan"

Unconsciously, a blush rose to her cheeks at the mention of the 'girlfriend' word.

"She's not my girlfriend… you know that" Yuzu mumbled modestly.

"It's just… she's not good for you… she's not nice Onee-chan!"

"What're you-?"

"After I left yesterday I ran into her… and I told her that I love you, and that if she didn't love you the same way… that she should just say so! So you wouldn't get hurt"

A faint remembrance of last night's conversation came back to her as Matsru muttered out her story,

"And she… she laughed in my face! It was so cruel!" Matsru began to sob, only quieting down when Yuzu rubbed her shoulder and nuzzled her mouth into Matsru's hair in a haphazard, sisterly kiss. All the while listening intently.

"I got so mad I just… I just told her we kissed!"

Yuzu froze in her spot, holding her breath.

"Then she… she pulled me up by my shirt, until we were face to face, and… she kissed me" Matsru squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her head into Yuzu's shoulder, as if trying to hide her embarrassment. But she continued none the less.

"I was so shocked. She threw me back, so hard I almost fell down and had this look on her face… I can't describe it, but she said 'That's what a kiss is… it's nothing' like she did it all the time! She told me I can have you if I wanted…"

Yuzu was slowly pulling away from Matsru, gathering her thoughts, and with them her skepticism.

"Onee-chan, please don't be mad but… a friend from my old school saw the whole thing. She thought I was being bullied, so when Mei started to get rough she snapped this picture and sent it to me…"

Yuzu turned to see Matsru holding her phone directly in front her face, on it was a picture of Mei kissing Matsru, with a fist balled up on the collar of her shirt.

On the courtyard of the school the President was doing her usual duties, gauging the uniforms of each student that passed by. Noticeably more sever this morning, she held a fixed look few understood, the President whom everyone knew to be strict but fair had on a look of anger. A look that told anyone unlucky enough to be caught in her gaze that she hated them. What fueled this anger? Fear. Anxiety. Although all these emotions lurked just below the surface, no one could understand anything past her cold expression, but there was no mistaking the anger in the depths of her eyes.

Mei had expected to see many things; cell phones, colored hair bands, jewelry, dyed hair… and she did of course she had not expected however, to see all these things unhidden on her sister. And as Yuzu approached further, Mei saw her third surprise for the morning… her anger dissipated only to be reflected in the eyes that stared back at her now, fearlessly inches away.

Yuzu recognized the stunned expression Mei now wore, but confused the meaning behind it.

"You never… You…" Yuzu stumbled over her thoughts to find the right words.

"Were you… always this cruel? This… manipulative?" as she picked up momentum it became harder to stop,

"You just, you hurt everyone around you because if you're miserable everyone has to be, right? You're a spoiled child. You're spoiled, and insensitive, and selfish, and you know what? Just because nothing has any value to you, don't think it doesn't to anyone else" Yuzu was crying now, covering her mouth with both hands, Tears of anger? Of jealousy? Of embarrassment?

Mei didn't understand, she only knew that Yuzu was trying to hurt her, but why… the only thing she was sure of was that Matsru wasn't to be trusted. Attempting to hold Yuzu Mei opened her hands but before she could react Yuzu ran. Ran back onto the street, crossed the road and down the allies, as far as she could make it without Mei by her side.


	2. Rival

Organizing and reorganizing 'documents' that were probably just old student council flyers from last year, Mei pretended to ignore Himeko's concerns. But of course she couldn't help pausing at the "If it… If it helps, she came back to school right before classes started."

_It doesn't. I lost. Even if Matsuri twisted the circumstances to suit her, what do I do? It's clear Yuzu won't be chasing me again… not that anything she said was completely untrue. I could explain what happened, but then what, in the slim chance she believes me it's not like this changes the fact that we can't be together. I can just leave things like how it is… we'll eventually be civil… but there's no chance we'd ever be 'together'… In the best cause scenario Matsuri's genuinely interested in Yuzu, obviously she'll do anything to possess her… maybe even protect her (?), in the worst she's just playing some manipulative game, once I give up without a fight she'll get bored and leave._

Whether it was fear or self-pity that drove Mei into the defeat of wishful thinking, over the course of the next few weeks things followed with the artic 'civility' that she predicted, her resolve to remain quiet only strengthening in the distance that grew between them. However this stagnation left everyone unsatisfied, as can be proven by the way Matsuri relented at the first mention Harumi made of going home within the second hour of their 'date'. This being by now the third week of Yuzu staring off into the distance as Matsuri clung to her arm playing the part of the perfect loli-esk girlfriend. Although it became very easy very fast to ignore Harumi's constant glare, it prevented the speeding up process some aggression could have brought to their relationship.

"Hey I got to head to the convince store before I get home so I'll just leave you two to it" Harumi said waving them off with a yawn and walking in the opposite direction.

_Ugh, even she thinks I don't have a chance anymore… can't say she's wrong either, Yuzu won't even react when I push up against her, it's no fun if she won't carry her weight in this!_

Matsuri still clung to her arm, although her grip had loosened over the past few days. Yuzu just gave short halfhearted responses, and only ever started to act like her old self when her 'sisterly' instincts acted up, then you couldn't get her to shut up. To be honest Matsuri could easily pull out the offensive when they're alone like this, but what's the point when she already knows it'll just be another rejection.

As they walked up to the station steps Matsuri let her hands drop and barely bothered to wave goodbye,

"Ah shit, like I wanna be stuck for another two hours, don't waste the energy kid the four o'clocks delayed." An office worker shouted, she recognized the old groper from her almost daily ride to the city. This… could get interesting.

"Did you hear that?" Matsuri looked at Yuzu with those innocent downcast eyes she mastered so well. Already Yuzu's protective impulses were acting up, it didn't hurt that Mei was tied up with student council this evening, "Can I come over to your place? I mean I know its just around the corner… I could probably just wait here though…"

"What're you talking about, we'll hang out home" Yuzu said grabbing her arm and leading Matsuri to the apartment building, as though Matsuri hadn't shown up on her door step a few weeks ago.

"I'm home! Mom? Oh yeah, she's probably working late too Want some tea or anything?" Yuzu asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Nah I'm fine, why don't we just hang out on the couch, come on" Matsuri dragged Yuzu from the kettle,

"Huh, ok, what's up"

Matsuri pulled Yuzu down an promptly rested her head on her shoulder.

"Onee-chan, do you like me?"

"This again Matsuri, we-"

"I'm not joking" finally opting for a serious expression, Matsuri made sure to maintain physical contact with her folded knees leaning on Yuzu's thighs and her hand on Yuzu's shoulder.

"We went through this already" Yuzu's eyes softened, "You're still very special to me, just my sister" as Yuzu said this Matsuri leaned in millimeter by millimeter till their lips brushed, Yuzu didn't pull back, but Matsuri did.

"You know I won't if you don't want me to. It's just… I don't think you're being fair to me." Matsuri leaned forward, not so that they were any closer, but now she was almost on Yuzu's lap.

"Do you think I'm cute?"

"Well, of course you ar-"

"And aren't I always gentle with you? And didn't I stay with you the whole time you were sulking this month?"

"Yeah, and I appreciate that but-"

"I love you"

It was harder to play off these words as simple childish confusion on Matsuri's part… what with her suddenly looking so much mature now and all.

"Can I kiss you?"

The whole act of asking first made it that much harder to respond, _I don't think anyone's ever asked that_.

"Um" wasn't a positive, but it wasn't a negative either. Matsuri didn't completely kiss her, but hearing the rustle at the door she brush her lips barely touching Yuzu, and simply hovered there, for what seemed to be one of the longest thirty seconds of Yuzu's life.

From Matsuri's position the look that dawned on Mei's face as she saw their almost-kiss didn't wasn't lost on her, nor did she let the opportunity for her signature glare of unrestrained provocation escape her.

Yuzu hadn't even registered that Matsuri was straddling her lap in the middle of the couch, let alone Mei's footsteps rapidly approaching before Matsuri was shoved stumbling backward on the floor.

"What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can force yourself on-" Mei's frighteningly clam expression and killer eyes couldn't stop her from being cut off.

"I would never force myself on her! Or anyone else! I'm not like you" Matsuri clenched her fists and put on her most sincere eyes that just happened to glance own at Yuzu's stunned face mouth agape, drawing her into acting as Mei rapidly closed the already slim two feet gap between them.

"If you think I'm going to let you-"

"You don't have to 'let' her do anything." Yuzu jumped up, turning Mei around with a sharp tug on the shoulder, "She wasn't forcing herself on me, not that I can say that about everyone. Get your bag Matsuri, we're leaving"

Yuzu lead the way to the door as Matsuri followed passing around to couch, and of course turning around to fix the same look on Mei, but licking her lips and adding the suggestive smirk for good measure.

And that's where Mei, defeated as she was, breaks a little.

"Yuzu wait, you don't understand, she looked at me over your shoulder in this way… I thought she was manipulating you! This has nothing to do with what I did in the past, and you even know the reasons why I did what I did, I'm sorry." For the first time Mei found herself begging, and still Yuzu wouldn't relent, bending down to put on her shoes, while Matsuri already unlocked to door ahead of her.

"Yuzu…" there was that distinctive break in her voice that you can only hear when someone is close to crying, "I-"

She wouldn't let herself stay to hear the rest of that sentence, Yuzu walked away from her once again, but it was too late. Although her will was strong, she couldn't help that her emotions were already fractured.

She kept pace with Matsuri but barely looked at her, "I love her too… Mei… It's just becoming harder and harder to trust her" the strange thing was she wore a smile as she said this, she was already so close to hearing what she had to say, all it took was a few words and Yuzu was filled with affection and sympathy.

Matsuri picked up quite well on this, and as Yuzu drifted into thoughts of the times when Mei was gentler, talking aloud to no one in particular, Matsuri gentle brushed their hands together until they were eventually clasped. As the image of the first time Mei genuinely smiled to her crossed her mind she felt Matsuri's warmth, and the calm heart beat from her fingertips. As she thought of Mei holding on to her while they rode Harumi's bike to the airport, she felt the gentle pressure from Matsuri's head on her shoulder.

Matsuri kept up these gentle embraces as Yuzu rapidly felt the depth of her love again, spilling her emotions into the night's air just outside the station. Until it was time for Matsuri to leave, all Matsuri had to do at that point was look into her eyes as Yuzu remembered her first kiss with Mei.

Maybe the distance and anger, and mostly pain, she felt for Mei over the weeks made her detached. Maybe she was still mad when she did it. Maybe she just got caught up in the chain of actions Matsuri created. Maybe it was the romantic night and the words she almost heard Mei said.

Whatever the reasons Himeko couldn't say. All she knew was that when she was out for a walk with Pucchi that night, she happened to glance Matsuri leaning in half the way, and Yuzu herself closing the rest of the gap. Even more surprising, it pained her to relay this information to the president the next morning. But she fulfilled her duty.


End file.
